Always
by Angel Rachelle
Summary: Squall's feeling strange after the last battle, and needs to know Rinoa's still there with him.


Always  
  
Squall's eyes fluttered open as he sat upright in his bed, almost ready to scream. He stood up quickly, and walked over to Rinoa's dorm as quietly as he could, because he could clearly see it was the middle of the night... He knocked on her door, and waited for an answer.  
  
"Rinoa, please open your door. Please... It's me.. Squall," he whispered, still half asleep, just wanting to make sure she was still there...  
  
Rinoa opened her door and yawned. She saw the worried look upon his face and wrapped her arms around his waist to give him a tight little hug.  
  
"What is it, Squall?" she said with that beautiful little smile she always seemed to have on her lips. He loved that smile.  
  
"I was... I was...," he suddenly realised what he had done. He had had another dream about her being taken away from him, and was coming to check on her... "Why on Earth did I do this?" he thought. He took a step back and shook his head, trying to think of a good excuse...   
  
"I was... just... passing by..," he managed to say.  
  
"At two in the morning?" she laughed softly and invited him into her room. "I just don't know about you sometimes..," she said playfully, as he sat down on her bed. "Now tell me... Why did you come to my room?"   
  
"I... I had a.... Well, I had a dream about you," he looked down and thought he sounded like an idiot. He *was* being an idiot right now. This wasn't like him at all. He didn't do things like this... Rinoa really had changed him... He couldn't help but let a little smile come to his lips with that thought. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him. It was only natural to worry about her.   
  
She walked over and sat down beside him, then she grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "You know you can tell me about it.."   
  
"I really don't want to talk about it," he shrugged and looked away. He cared a lot for her, but he just couldn't talk about it. Not now.   
  
Rinoa nodded and stood up. She had grown to know when Squall really didn't want to talk about things like this. "I... understand," she said, trying to hide the hurt that she felt. He still didn't completely want to open up to her. But, she knew sometimes that's how it was. She also knew that he would eventually tell her.  
  
Squall stood up and held Rinoa close. "It's just not something I can put into words right now." "Did I just explain how I feel? When did this become something I do?"   
  
"I understand.. It's okay," she whispered as she layed her head against his chest. Why couldn't he tell her this? She wanted to know so she could help... If it was possible for her to do so... "You know I'm here if you need me.." She smiled again. That smile that he loved so much.  
  
"I know. It's just.. I'm so afraid of losing you, Rinoa.. I know what it feels like now... I don't want to feel it again." He felt like hurting himself for saying such things. He didn't sound like himself at all. But, oddly enough, it was how he really felt.  
  
He stood there holding her for a long time. In the silence, he could hear her heart beating letting him know she was still with him. "It's so hard for me to say how I feel. In my dream, I... I lost you again. One minute you were there with me... The next you were gone forever.. I didn't know what to do. I gave up. I remembered at the infirmary when you were sick, and you were so cold.... I saw you there again... So quiet, so cold... I couldn't take it again, Rinoa. I couldn't." He stopped talking as quickly as he began. He immediately wished he could take everything he had said back, but it was already much too late.  
  
Tears welled up in Rinoa's eyes as she looked up at him. "Oh, Squall... It's okay. It really is. I know how you feel. I almost lost you too, remember? I wouldn't go back to that time for anything. I wouldn't be able to take it.. But, I'm here now, and so are you. There's nothing to worry about. I promise you, I'll never leave you again, alright? I know you'll do the same for me..."   
  
How did she understand so well? She knew everything he was feeling. Everything... And he just couldn't see how. She was perfect for him. He hugged her again and he finally knew that she would always be there with him. Always... 


End file.
